Asia Cup 2025: Sunil Gavaskar Picks India’s Playing XI, Sanju Samson Included
With the Asia Cup 2025 set to begin on September 9 in Dubai, legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has shared his preferred India XI for the opener. His line-up features Sanju Samson in the middle order and Jasprit Bumrah leading the pace attack.
03:11 PM Aug 20, 2025 IST
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Aakash Khuman
Sanju Samson finds a place as wicketkeeper-batter, while Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel provide the all-round balance.
Asia Cup 2025: The Asia Cup 2025 will be played in the T20 format, starting on September 9. Team India will begin its campaign on September 10 against hosts UAE at the Dubai International Stadium, followed by high-voltage clashes against Pakistan and Oman in the group stage.
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Gavaskar’s Preferred Line-Up
Speaking to Sports Today, Sunil Gavaskar picked his India XI for the opening game. His batting line-up features Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma as openers, with Tilak Verma and captain Suryakumar Yadav in the middle order.
Sanju Samson, chosen as wicketkeeper-batter, finds a place at No. 5/6, while Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel provide the all-round balance. In the bowling department, Gavaskar opted for Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakraborty, Arshdeep Singh, and pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah.
No Place for Rinku Singh, Dube
Interestingly, Gavaskar’s XI did not include Rinku Singh and Shivam Dube. Instead, he stressed the importance of Sanju Samson’s role in the middle-lower order, highlighting his adaptability.
“Sanju Samson can bat at 5 or 6. He shouldn’t be left out; after all, he’s the wicket-keeper. He is a gifted player and can adapt. He’s used to batting down the order, so we shouldn’t worry too much,” Gavaskar explained.
Gavaskar’s India XI for Asia Cup 2025
- Openers: Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma
- Middle Order: Tilak Verma, Suryakumar Yadav (C)
- Wicketkeeper-Batter: Sanju Samson
- All-Rounders: Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel
- Bowlers: Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakraborty
India’s Upcoming Fixtures
- vs UAE – September 10, Dubai
- vs Pakistan – September 14, Dubai
- vs Oman – September 19, Dubai
India’s official 15-member squad for Asia Cup 2025 includes: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Verma, Sanju Samson (WK), Jitesh Sharma (WK), Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakraborty, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh.
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